Virtual surround using an external DAC?

[Netherspark]

I have a Soundblaster AE-5 and I'm thinking of switching it out for an external DAC, either a Modi 3 or a Topping D50s (both non "gaming" DACS) but I'm concerned about losing certain features from the Soundblaster software, namely the Virtual Surround. 

 

This could be a stupid question, but Is this something that 3rd party software can produce or does it involve some special hardware on the card?  In other words, can I still get virtual surround using a DAC via software?

[rice guru]

2 hours ago, Netherspark said:

I have a Soundblaster AE-5 and I'm thinking of switching it out for an external DAC, either a Modi 3 or a Topping D50s (both non "gaming" DACS) but I'm concerned about losing certain features from the Soundblaster software, namely the Virtual Surround. 

 

This could be a stupid question, but Is this something that 3rd party software can produce or does it involve some special hardware on the card?  In other words, can I still get virtual surround using a DAC via software?

hesuvi does the trick  just a bit weird to configure

[an actual squirrel]

iirc, you can send virtual surround sound from the ae5 to external dacs via toslink. And you also can do hesuvi with a virtual 7.1 sound card. And windows spatial sound is another option, although that might be more finicky about what it works with than the other two methods.

 

At the end of the day, as long as you find something that has a good out of the head effect and supports surround sound, that's pretty much all that matters.